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A woman imprisoned and forced to work for a mother of 10 for more than a quarter of a century in “Dickensian” conditions has said nothing can give her back her lost years as her abuser was sentenced to 13 years.
The woman, who was held by Amanda Wixon in Tewkesbury, said: “For 25 years I lived in fear, control and abuse. I was treated as though my life, my freedom and my voice did not matter. The trauma and the nightmares are something I still carry with me every day.”
In a statement released as Wixon, 56, was sentenced at Gloucester crown court on Thursday morning, the woman said: “I am now living with a wonderful family who show me kindness, patience and support. Their love is helping me slowly rebuild the life that was taken from me and begin to feel safe again. Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost.”
There are growing calls for social services to explain why the victim, now in her 40s, slipped through the net. Her foster carer said: “It’s just a horrible situation which should never have happened. I think social services should be more alert and then maybe no one else will go through what she has been through.”
Wixon beat the woman, squirted washing-up liquid down her throat, splashed bleach on her face and shaved her head against her will.
The woman lived off scraps, could not leave the house in Gloucestershire, and was forced to wash secretly at night. Her benefit money was paid into Wixon’s account.
In newly released voice notes found by police, the victim gave an insight into her plight. In one, she said: “I was in agony last night, I was crying … I had no one to speak to.”
In another, she said: “Wish I could go out, take Marley [the family’s dog] for a walk every day of the week, wish I could do that but I can’t.”
Footage taken from police bodyworn-cameras reveals that when police found the woman, Wixon told them her victim was “quite reclusive”. Asked when the woman last had a bath, Wixon said: “I can’t really remember.”
Gloucester crown court heard that the woman, who has learning disabilities, was 16 when she moved into Wixon’s home in the mid-1990s and was supposed to stay only for the weekend but remained there until she was discovered by police in 2021.
When officers found the woman after receiving a tipoff, she had scarring to her lips and face and large calluses on her feet and ankles from being constantly on her hands and knees cleaning floors.
The house was overcrowded and had mould on the walls, crumbling plaster and rubbish in the back garden. They described the woman’s room as being like a prison cell.
Sam Jones, for the prosecution, told the jury during Wixon’s trial earlier this year that the victim had disappeared from society. The court heard social services were involved with the family in the late 1990s, but there was no record of contact since.
Jones said: “The fact remains that nothing was done by social services.” He said there were no medical or dental records for the woman, and she had not seen a doctor in two decades.
After Wixon was found guilty of false imprisonment, requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one neighbour claimed she had contacted social services raising concerns. The neighbour said she used to see the woman knocking on the window.
She said: “I made phone calls for social services, nothing was ever done. Social services failed her massively.”
Unseen, which helps victims of modern slavery, called for more training for professionals. Lauren Saunders, the charity’s deputy director of frontline services, said: “The awareness of domestic servitude is really really low because it happens in private homes. I think there is a real lack of training for professionals on how to identify the signs of exploitation.”
Judge Lawrie said there was a “Dickensian quality” to the situation.
Gloucestershire county council said it did not know of the victim’s plight until the police investigation began. A spokesperson said: “We would like to praise the person at the centre of this case for her bravery in reaching out for help. We first became aware of her tragic situation in 2021, at the start of the police investigation. Since then, the victim has been supported by our adult social care services.
“Now that this case has concluded, we will be conducting a review to ensure that all agencies do everything possible to spot and prevent such abuse.”
